2015 ONLINE RETAIL SALES GREW IN SURPRISING CATEGORY
For the first time in a decade, online sales spending on apparel and accessories surpassed computer hardware sales in 2015. For the year, clothing generated $51.5 billion in online sales, over the $51.1 billion spent on personal computers and tablets, which held the highest sales until now. In Q4 2015, apparel and accessories sold $17.2 billion.
Retailers’ efforts to make it easier to shop online and return with less risk is a big factor. Shoppers are getting more comfortable with the fact that if a pair of pants does not fit right or a blouse is a different color than they expected, it can be returned with little hassle and little to no cost. Online shopping of apparel and accessories also grew due to the fact that, unlike a laptop or tablet purchase, these products do not require a lot of research by the consumer before they buy, and are easy to buy with an image on a small mobile screen. E-retail sales of the apparel and accessories industry is expected to continue to grow, with total online sales estimated to grow up to $434 billion by 2017.
Source: Internet Retailer
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